The Inspiration of the Divine Calling of all People 21 0.1 Time of Upheaval Vincent Pallotti (April 21, 1795 – January 22, 1850) lived at a time of social and political upheavals in the immediate aftermath of the French Revolution and its resulting consequences of the formation of new nation states, the manifold emancipation of the populace from the power structures and the separation of Church and state. For the most part, the Church had lost its authority. As a counter-reaction, it was the time of Ultramontanism, with which Pallotti and his family were associated. Even if Pallotti did not travel beyond Rome and its surroundings, he could still experience the various infl uences of this historical period locally. Italy was just before the foundation of the nation state. The Papal States fought for its survival. (Pallotti supported the preservation of the Papal States). The end of the 18th Century was a period of many more occurrences of decadence than of renewal in the Church. Over abundant power, wealth and privileges had shaken the reputation of the Church. The imbalance between a world, which, from an economic social and cultural point of view, was experiencing an enormous developmental leap, and a Church hierarchy detached from the world had lasting consequences. The Church leadership did not participate in the pressing questions and topics of the day, thus does Jedin describe the historical period.10 By contrast, at the grassroots a number of things were set in motion. Catholics, charismatic men and women, who noted the needs of the time, founded new initiatives and communities. The Roman Church, by contrast, looked on such movements with great distrust, which developed without hierarchy, such as the Vincent Conferences of Frederic Ozanam,11 which developed in all of Europe as charitable lay organisations. The Church battled all reform ideas, which personalities such as Rosmini, Newman, Möhler or Pallotti tried to introduce.12 Today, nearly two hundred years later, trend-setting inspirations can still be expected from their writings, but only some of it, perhaps little of it, has been realised. In the end, the Vatican beatifi ed Antonio RosminiSerbati in 2007, John Henry Newman in 2011 and canonised Vincent Pallotti in 1963. It was only much later that they were rehabilitated and brought to the attention of ecclesial interest. Now there is nothing that stands in the way of the reception, evaluation and continuation of their ideas. 10 Hubert JEDIN (Hg.), Handbuch der Kirchengeschichte VI/1, Freiburg i. Br. 1985, p. 3 f. 11 Antoine-Frederic Ozanam, born 1813 in Milan, died 1853 in France. Husband, father and professor for commercial law in Marseille, was beatifi ed by John Paull II on August 8, 1997. 12 Cf. for the characteristic nature of the age the article by Valentin PIZZOLATO, Die Kirchenvision Vinzenz Pallottis (1795-1859), in: Manfred PROBST / Paul RHEINBAY (Hgg.), Kirche im Wandel. Pallottinische Optionen (Pallottinische Studien zu Kirche und Welt 2), St. Ottillien 1999, pp. 12-52. Regarding the Ecclesial Exp rience of Vincent Pallotti
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